Gregor and the Cutters War
by Silent Ninja22
Summary: 3 1/2 years after code of claw. Gregor is 16. Rated T for Slight language and violence.
1. The return

"Hey Gregor!" Larry said as he ran to catch up with him.

"What's up?" Gregor asked.

"Angelina said she wanted to see us at lunch to practice lines for that play she is in." Larry said while trying to catch his breath.

"Alright. Tell her I'll be there."Gregor said reluctantly.

"Okay, Bye." Larry said as he ran to class.

Gregor had math class next. On the way there his thoughts began to drift towards the Underland. He hadn't been there in over 3 years He began to think of when he fought the bane with Ares...Ares had died at the hands of the Bane. Why had Ares died? Why did I survive? Then he began to think of Luxa, Hazard, Howard, Mareth, Dulcet, Vikus, Nerissa, Luxa... Did Luxa still have feelings for him? Had she moved on?

"Gregor!" he heard his math teacher, Mrs. Barnes, shout, "Stop day dreaming and do your work!"

"Yes Mrs. Barnes," Gregor said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Now." Mrs. Barnes said, "What is the square route of 1369?"

"I don't know. 40 something," Gregor said right away.

"Wrong. 37." Mrs. Barnes said sternly. Then the bell rang, "Okay, remember chapter 8 lesson 7 is due tomorrow."

Gregor walked down to the lunch room. When he got there, he saw Larry and Angelina holding scripts and saying lines.

"Gregor, grab a script." Angelina said in a harsh tone. He guessed Larry did something.

"Okay, jeez." Gregor said reluctantly. They went through lines while they ate. Angelina was really good, but she kept worrying that she would do bad.

Then Gregor had science, art and gym, where he dominated dodge ball. After that school was over. Gregor went to pick his sisters up from school and walked them home.

"Gregor, we go see Temp?" Boots asked.

"Not today Boots, but maybe soon." Gregor said back.

"Boots wanna see Temp!" Boots screeched as she started to stomp around.

"Do you miss them Gregor?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes Lizzie," Gregor sighed, "A lot."

Then there was silence the rest of the way to his apartment, except for Boots stomping in puddles. Luxa would be 16 next week, which means she would be crowned Queen of Regalia. He wondered how Regalia was doing. He wondered if any wars were going on. He missed his friends, and Ripred.

They went into there apartment and saw their mom doing the dishes.

"Gregor?"

"Yeah?"

"Please go do the laundry."

"Okay" Gregor said as he walked down the stairs towards the laundry room.

He started doing the laundry, and thinking about the underland when he heard a voice, "Overlander" it said. Gregor looked around and the voice said, "Down here" and then Gregor saw the grate open. He looked down and saw a human he recognized.

"Mareth!" Gregor exclaimed, "Good to see you again."

"You too, Gregor." Mareth said happily and then sighed, "There is a war and we need the warrior to return."

"I killed the warrior, remember?" Gregor said sarcastically, "Against who?"

"The cutters." Mareth replied.

"I don't know. I can't just leave my family. They would be a mess if I left." Gregor said. "Maybe if we go talk to them-"

"Would I not be seen?" Mareth asked.

"No one leaves their apartment at this time of day." Gregor said. "It will be quick."

"Alright." Mareth said.

"Let's go." Gregor said. "This way."

When Mareth got through the grate, he saw the laundry machines and asked, "What is this machinery? Is it a weapon?"

"It's called a washing machine." Gregor replied. "You put your clothes in it, and it cleans them."

"Oh" Mareth said, as they walked up the stairs.

When they got to the apartment, Gregor opened the door and said, "Mom, dad! We have a visitor!"

"Who is it?" His mom asked.

"Just come here." Gregor replied.

His mom walked in with a plate and a dish rag, and when she saw Mareth, she dropped it and yelled, "NO! YOU ARE NEVER GOING BACK THERE!"

"But mom, they need me." Gregor said. "I-"

"NO! I WILL NOT LET YOU GO DOWN AND GET YOURSELF KILLED!" his mom shouted, as his dad walked in.

"What's going on?" His dad asked.

"Dad, if you were in a situation where you could go stay with your family, or go help someone out, which would you choose?" Gregor asked.

"I would follow my heart, son, and do what I think is right." His dad said.

"Grace," Mareth said, "we need Gregor. Without him we would all surely perish."

"BUT HE HAS ALREADY DONE ENOUGH FOR YOU!" his mom cried. "HE HAS ALMOST DIED FOR YOU MULTIPLE TIMES!"

"Grace, honey, Gregor is grown up now. He can make his own decisions." His dad said.

"I know." His mom said, tears dripping down her face. "I just don't want him killed."

"Mom, I won't die." Gregor said. "I will come back alive."

"Okay." His mom said. "Be careful."

"I will." Gregor said as he walked out the door.

Gregor and Mareth ran down the stairs, and to the laundry.

When they got to the grate, Mareth said, "Are you ready, overlander?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Gregor replied.

With that, Gregor jumped through the grate.


	2. The surprise

"_What are waiting for? Let's go."_

_With that Gregor jumped through the grate._

* * *

(**_Luxa's POV)_**

"Help!"

_**(Gregor's POV)**_

Gregor landed on a flier, and right when he did, Mareth embraced him in a bone-crushing hug.

"So, Mareth, what has happened since I left?" Gregor asked, while gasping for air.

"Much, overlander." Mareth said solemnly, as she let go, "Vikus had a relapse and passed away, Perdita was killed in battle, and the Fount was destroyed."

They flew in silence for a couple minutes, until Gregor asked, "Did Howard survive?"

"Yes, he and York was in Regalia when it happened." Mareth replied happily, "And, we have fully allied with the stingers, and are negotiating with the diggers."

"Good!" Gregor replied, "Anything else happen?"

"Yes, Gregor, we have been sending humans, gnawers, nibblers, and stingers to the uncharted lands and have found many things." Mareth said.

"Like what?" Gregor asked.

"We have discovered a new species, the pokers, I believe you call them porcupines?" said Mareth.

"Do they have sharp hairs all around them?" Gregor asked.

"Yes" Mareth replied.

"Those are porcupines. Have you allied with them?" Gregor asked.

"No, we are still trying to learn their language. We seem to get along well, though." Mareth replied.

"Well that's still good. What about the spinners?" Gregor asked.

"Still neutral." Mareth replied," But we still trade with them."

"At least they haven't turned against you." Gregor said. "So how are the others?"

"Luxa spends most of her time in her quarters, mourning for you." Mareth said. So she hasn't forgotten me, Gregor thought. "Howard is always busy, now that he is a doctor, Hazard is usually trying to learn different languages, Nerissa is the same, Ripred is as annoying as ever, and I am now the head of the Regalian army." Mareth said.

"Good for you." Gregor said.

"How has your family been, Gregor?" Mareth asked.

"Good." Gregor replied. "My dad got his old job as a science teacher back, which means my mom doesn't have to work as much. Lizzie is now thirteen, and has many more friends. Boots is six and is now in kindergarten, and every day asks if she can go see Temp. And, my grandma passed away last month."

"Sorry to hear about your grandmother." Mareth said solemnly.

"Thanks." Gregor said. "So-"

"Sorry to interrupt," the flier purred," but we are approaching Regalia."

"Is this Andromeda?" Gregor asked.

"No, Andromeda was killed in a battle with the cutters, along with Perdita, shortly after you left. This is Aphrodite, Andromeda's sister." Mareth said.

"I have heard much about you warr- Gregor." Aphrodite purred.

"Nice to meet you." Gregor said.

"We are here." Mareth said.

Aphrodite dropped them off at the high hall and then flew off. Gregor looked around and saw Hazard, Howard, Nerissa, Ripred, and 8 other people he didn't recognize eating dinner.

"Gregor!" Howard and Hazard yelled as they ran up and embraced him.

"Hey Guys!" Gregor said, "What's up?"

"Nothing much just eating dinner." Howard replied, "What about you?"

"Good. How have you been doing?" Gregor asked.

"Are Boots and Lizzie here?" Hazard asked.

"Sorry Hazard, not this time." Gregor replied, "Howard, sorry to hear about your family and the fount."

"It's okay," Howard replied solemnly, "I don't have much time to mourn for them anyways."

"Where's Luxa?" Gregor asked.

"She left to go some where with Aurora." Howard replied.

"So my little rager decided to return, did he?" Ripred said with a hint of happiness, "Ready for training?"

"I've been practicing in the overland." Gregor replied, "How's that shrimp and cream sauce?"

"Quite scrumptious. Want some?" Ripred asked sarcastically.

"No thanks. I'd rather have non-gnawer tasting food." Gregor replied.

"Have you been practicing your sarcasm too" Ripred said.

"No, I'm just a natural." Gregor replied sarcastically.

They ate there food and continued talking, when a guard burst through the door with a piece of paper, and handed it to Nerissa. She gasped after reading it, and then read it aloud.

_"Dear Regalia,_

_Your queen is our prisoner. Give us the warrior, or she dies._

_Sincerely,_

_The cutters"_

Everybody was screaming, and that's all Gregor heard before he felt something hit his head, and blacked out.


	3. The Ragers

Gregor woke up to see Howard, Hazard, Mareth, Ripred, and Nerissa in the corner of his hospital room talking.

"Ow," Gregor said as he sat up and felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, "How long was I out?"

"Approximately 4 and a half days." Nerissa stated.

"Four and a half days?" Gregor exclaimed, "How the hell was I out that long?"

"You were hit in the back of the head with a mace, boy, what do you expect?" Ripred said.

"By who?" Gregor asked.

"A crazy guard who tried to give you to the cutters." Hazard answered.

"You are lucky you only needed stitches." Howard said, "A blow like that could have killed you."

"What happened while I was out?" Gregor asked anxiously. "Any word about Luxa?"

"We have been told no harm has been done to Luxa." Nerissa said calmly.

"There was a meeting about what to do about Luxa." Howard said. "We decided that you will choose five companions to accompany you to the cutters lair. Then, Nerissa found Sandwiches journal, and it says that it is for the warriors eyes only."

"Let's go get it then then." Gregor said.

"You are in no condition to be walking." Nerissa said. "And it is in my quarters."

"Gregor you should probably get some sleep" Howard said dismissing everybody.

Gregor laid down and went to sleep.

* * *

Gregor woke in a cavern he recognized. The one he fought the bane in. Gregor looked around and saw Luxa on the ground dead.

He ran over and cradled her in his arms, but she was losing blood fast.

"Luxa who did this to you?" Gregor asked between sobs.

"I-It w-was-" Luxa started, but was shot with an arrow in the throat. She was dead.

"Who shot that!" Gregor yelled. "I'll kill you!"

Gregor looked around and heard an evil laugh he recognized.

Henry.

"I see you have fallen in love with my cousin." Henry chuckled.

"She trusted you!" Gregor shouted. "And you betrayed her!"

"She betrayed me by letting me die!" Henry screamed.

Gregor pounced at Henry and sliced his head clean off.

"Gregor, help!" Ares yelled.

"Gregor, save me!" Mareth yelled.

"Warrior, help!" Solovet yelled.

"Help!"

"Save me!"

"Ah!"

Cries for help were echoing throughout the cavern, but they seemed to all be coming from different directions. He couldn't save all of them!

"Now your next!" the bane screamed.

"Kill him!" Gorger yelled.

"Charge!" Henry yelled.

Then, out of nowhere, one thousand gnawers surrounded him and all pounced at once.

* * *

Gregor woke up panting. He hadn't had a nightmare since he was fourteen. He looked around and saw three doctors staring at him nervously.

"Is everything okay?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, just a nightmare." Gregor said calmly. "Do you know where Ripred is?"

"I believe he is in the old nursery discussing the prophecy." another said.

"Okay, thanks." Gregor said as he walked off.

When Gregor got to the nursery, he saw Ripred, Howard, Nerissa, Mareth, Perdita, and two others he didn't recognize.

"Ah, this must be the warrior." the bigger one said happily "I am Joshua and this Donald."

"Pleasure to meet you." Gregor said while shaking their hands.

"The pleasure is all ours." Donald said gleefully. "Did you know, we are ragers, too."

"Nice to know I'm not the only human one." Gregor said happily.

"Ripred keeps comparing us to you in training," Joshua paused while Ripred growled, "Which leads me to believe that he missed you."

"Have you done echolocation yet?" Gregor asked.

"Yes," Donald whined, "He even locked us in a dungeon for a whole week! How would that work?"

Gregor and Ripred looked at each other and chuckled. "So, can I see the journal?" Gregor said.

"I have it right here." Nerissa handed him a little book. "You should probably go to your quarters so no one else can read it."

"I will do so." Gregor said, as he walked down the hall.

* * *

(Luxa's POV)

"Aurora?" Luxa asked.

"Yes?" Aurora replied.

"D-do you think Gregor will ever return? I wonder if he moved to Vir... that place." Luxa said solemnly.

"Do not worry, I bet he is either on his way here or in Regalia." Aurora purred reassuringly.

"I hope you are right." Luxa said hopefully.


	4. The Journal

**Thank you all for reviewing! (Three were me ;))**

* * *

_Dear Warrior,_

_I am truly sorry for all the brutal times you have been through, but one cannot escape destiny. But now, as you say, let us cut to the chase You, must lead an army against the cutters. You, must save Regalia. You, must finish what I started. You, must gather all the creatures you can, for the cutters outnumber you. You, must fix the mistakes I made. Who you take is not my choice, but you will need all the fighters you can get. _

_Here is a list of who you should recruit._

_The Fliers: They will follow you, as they did against the bane._

_The Crawlers: The crawlers may take some convincing, but if you have the princess, they will follow you to make sure she is safe._

_The Gnawers: The gnawers are probably the most stubborn creatures you will ever deal with. They are divided, so it will take much convincing to get them to follow you._

_The Nibblers: The nibblers will follow you if they know you are going to get the Queen._

_The Spinners: The spinners are, in a way, similar to the cutters. They will do what is best for their species, and join the stronger side._

_The Diggers: The diggers will be hard to recruit, for we have killed many._

"What does he mean 'we'." Gregor thought.

_The best way to recruit them would to show them the strength that your army has._

_The Pokers: The pokers are smart, and will stay neutral, unless you convince them of your cause._

_The Twisters: The twisters are hostile and it is very unlikely they will join your army._

_The Hissers: The hissers are very strong and powerful creatures. They will join if they see how strong your army is._

_The Stingers: Stingers will join if you remind them of the alliance the Queen made._

_If you win this war, you will gain great allies. If you lose, Regalia will fall. It is all up to you._

_Fly you high,_

_Bartholomew of Sandwich_

* * *

Gregor sat up and thought about the journal. How could he lead a TEN nation army? He could barely even keep his rager sense under control! He thought he should ask Ripred, he must have lead a lot of armies, right? So he walked out of his quarter, and down the hall to Ripred's.

Gregor knocked on his door and heard a grouchy voice say, "Come in."

He walked and said urgently, "Ripred, I need to talk to you."

"What is it, boy? It is getting late." Ripred growled.

"I need to talk to you about the journal." Gregor said.

"What did it say?" Ripred asked curiously.

"It said I need to lead a ten nation army against the cutters." Gregor said. Ripred raised an eyebrow at this.

"Who?" Ripred asked.

"The Humans, Fliers, Crawlers, Gnawers, Nibblers, Spinners, Diggers, Pokers, Hissers, and Stingers." Gregor said.

"That will be hard. First, we should save the queen." Ripred said. "If they heard we were rallying an army, she would surely die."

"Who should come?" Gregor said.

"That is for you to decide." Ripred said.

"We will need good fighters, so let's bring Joshua and Donald." Gregor said. "A scent seer would be helpful."

"I have a scent seer in my clan, and he's a good fighter." Ripred suggested. "His name is Flaregut."

"Okay. Let's leave tomorrow." Gregor said.

"Send word to the others, an I will go get Flaregut." Ripred said.

"Okay, meet me at the spout at nine thirty tomorrow." Gregor said.

"Okay." Ripred said as he walked out the door.

Gregor wrote a note and slipped it under their door. It read:

_Dear Joshua and Donald,_

_Meet me in the old nursery at 9:30. Tell no one, and bring your bonds._

_Sincerely,_

_The Warrior_

Gregor walked back to his room, jumped onto his bed, and thought about one thing.

He was going to see her one more time...


	5. The Rescue Begins

Gregor awoke, and sat up. He got out of bed and kept thinking of one thing. He was going to see her, he was going to see his Luxa.

He took a quick bath, and went to the armory to get a sword. On the way there, he bumped into Mareth.

"Hey, Mareth, what's up?" Gregor asked.

"Nothing good, Gregor." Mareth said sadly. "There have been reports of missing guards, and we believe that the cutters are responsible."

"Oh, that sucks." Gregor said.

"Yeah, it does." Mareth said. "Where are you going?"

"I was heading to the armory." Gregor said. "I need a sword."

"Have you not gotten one yet?" Mareth asked.

"No." Gregor replied.

"Shall I accompany you then?" Mareth asked.

"Uh, sure." Gregor said.

"How is your family, Gregor?" Mareth asked.

"Okay," Gregor replied, "but my grandma is in the hospital. How many soldiers are missing?" he said, quickly changing the subject.

"About forty." Mareth said.

"Wow. Have you at least found out if they are dead or alive?" Gregor asked.

"No." Mareth said, as they walked into the armory. "We're here."

An old woman walked up to them and said, "Hello, warrior. I see you decided to return."

"Hello, Miravet." Gregor said.

"What can I get for you today?" Miravet asked.

"The overlander needs a sword." Mareth answered.

"Ah, the sword rack is right this way." Miravet said, leading them to another room.

"This is great, thanks." Gregor said.

"If you need anything else, you know where to find me." Miravet said as she walked off.

"Mareth, you can go if you want. It will take me a while to find a sword." Gregor said.

"Okay, bye." Mareth said as he walked through the door.

Gregor went over to the sword rack and looked at the swords. He picked one up and tried it out on a dummy. Didn't work. He picked up another sword. Same result. He tried ten more. Same results. Then, something caught his eye. A sword that looked just like Sandwich's. The same design, texture, and felt the same when he swung it. Gregor picked it up and tried it. Perfect.

Gregor walked out of the room, and to the old nursery. He still couldn't get that one thought out of his head. He was going to see her. He was going to see her. He was going to see her. He was going to see her.

Gregor walked into the nursery, but Donald and Joshua weren't there. Gregor sat down, and began to think.

How was Luxa? Was she still alive? Did she still have feelings for him? Had she changed? Gregor kept thinking over and over about this, until he stopped himself. "As long as she's alive, you'll be okay." he told himself. He said this over and over until it finally sunk in.

Then, his thoughts changed to his family. How was his mom handling this? Is grandma okay? Was Lizzie having a panic attack? Was Boots freaking out that she didn't get to come?

Then, his thoughts changed again. Were Donald and Joshua coming? Did they tell anyone besides their bonds? Are they just late? His third question was confirmed when they walked in with their bonds.

"Hey, guys." Gregor said.

"Hello, warrior." Joshua said happily.

"Please, call me Gregor." Gregor said.

"So, why are we here?" Donald asked.

"To save Luxa." Gregor replied.

"Oh." Joshua said.

"Follow me." Gregor said. "We need to meet Ripred at nine thirty."

"Okay." Donald said, as Gregor opened the turtle's shell.

"Isn't this where you and the queen would always escape?" Joshua asked.

"Yeah, why? Do you have a problem with that?" Gregor asked.

"No, just curious." Joshua replied.

"Then let's go before someone sees us." Gregor said as they ran through the tunnel.

They came out the other side and saw Ripred and another gnawer, who he guessed was Flaregut, laughing.

"What's so funny?" Gregor asked.

"Ripred was just telling me about your love life with the q-queen." Flaregut said between laughs.

"Wait what?" Donald and Joshua said in unison.

"He did not tell you?" Ripred asked. They both shook their heads. "The war-"

"May I remind you, I killed the bane and I don't have any trouble killing you." Gregor said. Ripred stopped laughing.

"Jeez, boy, do you not have a sense of humor?" Ripred asked.

"Moving on," Gregor said, ignoring Ripred. "Let's get out of here before anyone finds out where we're going."

"Gregor is right we should get out of here soon." Donald said.

"Then everyone mount up!" Gregor said.

While everybody was getting on a flier, Gregor couldn't stop thinking about the note. Have they already killed her? Then he thought, "Cutters can't write."

"Hold up." Gregor said. "Cutters can't write. How did they send that letter?"

"It looks like we have ourselves a traitor." Ripred said. "But do not think about that now, we have a queen to save!"

"Let's go!" Gregor said, and they took off.

Gregor still couldn't get that one thought out of his head.

He was going to see her again.

(Luxa's POV)

"Aurora, have they forgotten us?" Luxa asked.

"No, I am sure they are preparing to leave now." Aurora purred.

Just then, they heard a voice say, "Hello, just thought I would say stop by."

"H-Henry?"


	6. The Rescue

Gregor woke up on a flier, and remembered he was on a mission to save Luxa. Is she being tortured? Is she okay? Is she alive? He kept thinking, and thinking, and thinking about her. Then, he knew the answers. No. Yes. Yes. She can't die. She just can't .

"Gregor." Joshua said "I do not think you have been properly introduced to the fliers. This is Hephaestus and this is Prometheus."

"Hello warrior." Prometheus purred. "We have heard much about you."

"Nice to meet you." Gregor said. "You know, you both resemble my bond-"

"Ares? Yes we are his cousins." Hephaestus said. "After he let his bond, Henry, die, we were shunned and sent to the uncharted lands. We had been living there for three years, when a group of spinners attacked us. That, is where we met Joshua and Donald. They told us that they had been living there for thirteen years, and asked us if we could bring them to Regalia, so we did. When we got there, we learned of your adventures and Ares death. They said Ares was a hero, and everyone treated us like royals."

"Wow." Gregor said. "I'm sorry about that. If he hadn't caught me, that wouldn't have happened."

"Do not be sorry." Prometheus said. "Ares did the right thing. I would have done the same."

"Cutters." Flaregut stated.

"How many?" Ripred asked, on guard.

"Two hundred." Flaregut said, and then took another big sniff. "And one human."

"Is it Luxa? Is she okay?" Gregor asked anxiously.

"It does not appear that he is tied up." Flaregut said.

"Oh." Gregor said, disappointed.

"Then it appears our traitor decided to show himself." Ripred said.

"I'll kill him." Gregor volunteered.

"No." Donald said. "What if one escapes and tells the queen? Our queen would surely die."

"Then should we split up, or all keep going?" Gregor asked.

"Split up." Ripred said. "Flaregut and Prometheus, go with Gregor. The rest of us will stay and fight."

"Alright then." Gregor said. "Let's go." and they flew off.

"Flaregut." Prometheus said. "Where are we going?"

"Go left, and fly for-" Flaregut said, as he took another sniff. "sixty miles."

"Okay." Gregor said. "Can you smell Luxa?"

"No." Flaregut replied.

"Warrior," Prometheus said, "You should rest. It will be a while."

"Thanks, Prometheus." Gregor said, as he fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

(Ripred's POV)

"Joshua, Donald." Ripred said. "Have I ever taught you my spin move?"

"No." Joshua and Donald said in unison.

"I'll demonstrate." Ripred said as he went to an open space, and spun. Donald's and Joshua's jaws both dropped as they watched.

"Can I do that?" Joshua asked, as Ripred slowed down.

"You both can." Ripred said. "But always remember: never lose control over your rager senses."

"Okay, here comes the army." Ripred said, as two hundred cutters ran at them. "Spin!"

Ripred, Joshua, and Donald all spun as fast as they could, and blood was flying everywhere.

"Ah!-"

* * *

(Luxa's POV)

"Why?" Luxa sobbed. "Why did you kill Aurora?"

"That answer is simple." Henry replied. "I am not allowed to kill you."

"Henry." Luxa cried. "Please, do not be this way. If you come back to Regalia, I will not judge you by what you have done."

"Too late for that." Henry said. "I have chosen my path, now you must choose yours."

"I will not change my mind." Luxa said. "I will defend Regalia, or die trying."

"Too bad." Henry said. "Because you have one day to live, unless the warrior comes."

"He is not coming." Luxa said. "He moved to Vir.. some place."

"No." Henry said. "He is in Regalia. Our spies have confirmed that."

"Gregor." Luxa whispered, and she almost smiled.

* * *

(Gregor's POV)

"Warrior, wake up." Prometheus purred.

"Y-Yeah?" Gregor yawned.

"We are at the cutters mound." Flaregut said. "The queen is... alive but injured."

"At least she's alive." Gregor said. "Where should we land?"

"Over there." Flaregut said pointing to a crack in the wall. They went over and flew through the crack, which was barely big enough for Prometheus to fit through. "This crack is too small for cutters to fit through, so you will be safe here Prometheus."

"Am I not going?" Prometheus asked.

"No." Flaregut said. "Stay here, no matter what."

"Let's go, Flaregut." Gregor said as they ran through the crack.

"Where are we going?" Gregor asked.

"Left." Flaregut said. "Cutters were coming down that tunnel, we would have been killed."

"Okay." Gregor said. "How far away is Luxa?"

"About one mile." Flaregut said. "Right."

When they turned around the corner, they heard a scream of pain. "Ah! Help!"

"That is the queen." Flaregut said. "She is being whipped."

"How much farther?" Gregor asked.

"Three quarters of a mile." Flaregut replied. "Right."

They ran for a while, and a single cutter walked in front of them, but before it could let out an alarm, Gregor sliced it's head clean off.

"Keep moving." Gregor said.

"The queen is around this corner, and then four hundred yards forward." Flaregut said, as they turned the corner.

They heard another cry of pain, but this time it said, "Gregor! If you are there, help!"

"Flaregut, who is with her?" Gregor asked.

"Just one human." Flaregut replied. "But there are thousands of cutters nearby."

"Alright, let's go kill that bastard." Gregor said.

"What is this 'bastard' you are talking about?" Flaregut asked.

"Never mind." Gregor said, as he ran towards Luxa. He almost shouted "Luxa! I'm here!" but resisted the temptation. He ran close enough to the cavern to see Luxa on the ground crying, and a shirtless man with a bullwhip standing over her laughing.

"Now you feel the same way I did when you betrayed me, cousin!" the man laughed.

"Gregor will save me." Luxa said. "I know he will."

"Why do you think so highly of that warrior?" The man asked. "He is only alive because my bond let me fall, and saved him!"

"Henry?" Gregor thought.

"Henry, Ares did the right thing when you did wrong." Luxa said. "Ares was a brave flier to let you fall."

"I bet that warrior is too scared to fight me." Henry said.

"No, he's not." Gregor said, stepping out of the shadows.

"Have you come to save my cousin?" Henry asked. "If you get away, you'll have to carry her." And he whipped Luxa in the side of the head, and she fell unconscious.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Gregor asked.

"To make your escape slower." Henry replied.

"You're dead!" Gregor shouted, and he charged at Henry.

Gregor thrust his sword at Henry, but Henry deflected it and tried to slice off Gregor's arm. Gregor hit Henry's sword with so much force that it split in half. Gregor stabbed Henry in the chest, and he fell to the ground. Henry was now definitely dead.

"Flaregut, can you carry Luxa?" Gregor asked.

"Yes." Flaregut said.

"Alright, lead the way." Gregor said, and they ran towards the exit.

"Flaregut, is Prometheus still there?" Gregor asked.

"Yes." Flaregut replied. "The cutters have found Henry's dead body, and are following us."

"Great." Gregor said. "Just great."

"Right." Flaregut said. "Cutters are one thousand five hundred yards away and moving."

"How far away is Prometheus from here?" Gregor asked.

"On the path we are taking, half a mile." Flaregut said.

"The cutters mound is small." Gregor commented.

"No, it is just that the queen was near the entrance." Flaregut said. "Right."

"Is this the same way we came?" Gregor asked.

"No." Flaregut replied. "That path is swarming with cutters."

They ran straight for another three minutes before they got back to the crack and Gregor ran in.

"Warrior, I cannot get through with the queen on my back." Flaregut said. "A little help would be good."

Gregor went over and carried Luxa through, and Flaregut squeezed through.

"Ah, you are back." Prometheus said, relieved. "I was about to go and look for you."

"Good thing you didn't." Gregor said. "Cutters are following us."

"The cutters are here." Flaregut said, as they heard thousands of legs pounding on the ground. "It will take a while for them to pass. We should probably leave through the other end of this crack."

"Do you hear that?" A cutter asked.

"Yes." Another replied. "Looks like our robber is in there."

"Get them!" Another yelled.

"Run." Gregor said. "I'll hold them off."

They all ran without questioning. Gregor turned around and watched as the cutters ripped through the wall.

"Hello." Gregor said. "Have you met my sword?" Gregor said, and he ran into the middle of the group and started spinning.

Gregor spun, and spun, and spun. Blood was flying everywhere. Gregor slowed down, and saw that the cutters were retreating. He had won. That was his last thought, before everything went black.


	7. The Question

_**(Luxa's POV)**_

Luxa woke up in the infirmary with doctors surrounding her.

"Ouch." She said getting up. "That hurt."

"Your highness, can you tell us what happened?" One of the doctors said.

"I was out flying around with Aurora, when we were ambushed by hundreds of cutters." Luxa told them. "Then we were taken prisoner, and thrown in a cavern. A few days after we were taken captive, we found Henry." Cold tears were dripping down Luxa's face now. "A-and he stabbed Aurora to death. After a while Gregor came, and Henry hit me with a bull whip in the head. That is all I remember." All the doctors were shocked by Henry's survival.

"Thank you, your highness." The doctor said.

"How long was I out?" Luxa asked.

"Two days." A doctor replied.

"How is Gregor?" Luxa asked.

"We do not know." One of the doctors said.

"What do you mean you do not know?" Luxa asked.

"He is missing."

_**(Gregor's POV)**_

Gregor awoke in the crack that he, Flaregut and Prometheus had used for shelter. Gregor thought it looked wider, and then he remembered what happened. They had saved Luxa and... Luxa! What happened? Did they escape?

"Your awake." A voice said.

"Who is that?" Gregor asked.

"It is Cinderella." The voice said.

"Hi Ripred." Gregor said. "How do you know who Cinderella is?"

"I do not." Ripred replied.

"How did you find me?" Gregor asked. "What hit me in the head?"

"I decided to come look for you yesterday, because you had not returned." Ripred said. "And there was a rock that fell from the ceiling."

"How did you, Donald and Joshua do?" Gregor asked.

"All alive, but Hephaestus lost a wing." Ripred said.

"Oh." Gregor said. "Did everyone else make it back?"

"Yes." Ripred said. "When I left the queen was unconscious."

"Let's go." Gregor said, and he ran outside. "Did you bring a flier?"

"No." Ripred replied. "We will run."

"Yay." Gregor said sarcastically.

"Wise ass." Ripred said.

"You're a bigger one." Gregor said. "How do you know what that means?"

"I have been to the overland." Ripred said. "I heard it a lot."

"Let's just go." Gregor said. "Which way?"

"I was hoping you could tell me." Ripred said. "Try this way."

"Great, we're lost." Gregor said.

"Quit your whining, you epic dweeb." Ripred said.

"How long were you in the overland?" Gregor asked. "Do you even what you're saying?"

"A week and no." Ripred replied. "The cutters are coming, run if you want to live."

"I'll run." Gregor said, and they started sprinting.

They ran for what seemed like hours, when Ripred said to rest.

"Finally." Gregor said, as he collapsed on the ground. "How long were we running?"

"About an hour and forty minutes." Ripred said.

"How did you know?" Gregor asked.

"I stole your watch." Ripred replied.

"Give me that." Gregor said, taking it off and putting it on his wrist.

"We are about a three hour run from Regalia." Ripred said. "Would you like to rest?"

"No, let's just go." Gregor said, standing up. "Which way?"

"That way." Ripred said, and they continued running.

_**(Lizzie's POV)**_

"Mom?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes honey?" Her mom replied.

"When's Gregor coming back?" Lizzie asked.

"I don't know." Her mom said. "Why?"

"I want to go down." Lizzie stated.

"Not right now sweetie." Her mom said. "Go back to bed."

"Fine." Lizzie said reluctantly, and she walked to her room. When she got there, instead of going to bed, she started collecting batteries and flashlights. "Gregor's not the only one that gets to do what he wants." She muttered. She got one last flashlight, and walked down to the laundry room. When she got there, she went over to the grate.

She wrote a note and left it next to the grate. Then, she jumped through.

_**(Gregor's POV)**_

Gregor woke up in a bed, with people surrounding him.

"Hello." Gregor said, looking around. "Why are so many people here?"

"Because," Howard said, squeezing through, "you were in a coma."

"How long?" Gregor asked curiously.

"Two weeks." Howard replied.

"Two weeks?" Gregor exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Ripred says that you passed out from exhaustion when you were running." Howard replied. "How do you feel?"

"I feel fine." Gregor replied. "So-"

"Gregor!" A voice he recognized exclaimed.

"B-Boots?" Gregor asked dumbfounded.

"I see Temp and Hazard!" Boots said happily.

"Why are you here?" Gregor asked. "Do mom and dad know?"

"Lizzie went down, and me and daddy followed her!" Boots said.

"Where are dad and Lizzie?" Gregor asked, getting up.

"They in our room." Boots replied. "They are seeping. Sh."

"Ok, Boots." Gregor said. "Let's go to the room then."

"Follow me!" Boots yelled, as she ran down the hall.

"Boots, slow down!" Gregor said.

"Catch me!" Boots voice echoed through the hall.

"Alright! I'm coming Boots!" Gregor yelled playfully, as he started sprinting.

"We here." Boots said, when Gregor caught up to her.

Gregor opened the door and saw Lizzie and his dad talking on the couch.

"Gregor!" Lizzie exclaimed, as she ran over and gave him a hug.

"Hi, son." His dad said.

"Hey dad." Gregor said. "What's up?"

"We were just discussing Lizzie's punishment for leaving." His dad replied.

"Don't punish her." Gregor said. "If anyone, I should be punished for coming here in the first place."

"But you asked and-" His dad started, but Gregor cut him off.

"Dad." Gregor said. "Let her off the hook."

"Okay, warrior." His dad said in a mocking tone. "Girls, could you leave the room for a second?"

"Ok daddy!" Boots said, and she ran out the door.

"Boots! Wait up!" Lizzie yelled as she followed.

"Did you want to talk to me dad?" Gregor asked.

"Your mom and I were talking, and we decided that you are grown up now and can make your own decisions." His dad said. "Would you like to stay in the underland?"

"Wait, I can stay?" Gregor exclaimed. "But what about you?"

"We want you to visit us at least once a month, and you have to stay for two days every time." His dad said.

"Thank you, dad." Gregor said, giving him a bear hug.

"Oh, and by the way, Luxa wanted to talk to you." His dad said. "She said it was important."

"Okay, dad. See you later." Gregor said as he walked out the door.

Luxa wanted to see me? Why is it important? Is she queen yet? Gregor kept thinking and thinking about that, when he walked right into someone.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." Gregor said.

"It is okay." The person said. "You know the queen wants to talk to you?"

"Yeah, I heard." Gregor replied. "Do you know where she is?"

"In her quarters." The person replied.

"How did you know that she wants to see me?" Gregor asked.

"I am her personal servant." The servant replied. "We are here."

"Thank you." Gregor said as he walked in. "Luxa?"

"In here." She replied.

"You wanted to see me?" Gregor said. "Oh and, I missed you." He reached over and kissed her on the cheek.

"I missed you too." Luxa said as he let go. "Come, sit down."

"Okay." Gregor said as he sat down.

"As you know, I am of age to rule now." Luxa started. "And every queen needs a king. What I am trying to say is, will you be my king?"

"Yes"


End file.
